To help share the story of Pennsylvania dairy farming directly with consumers and families, the 2025 Calving Corner exhibit reached hundreds of thousands of visitors at the PA Farm Show this January. With a live stream that runs all week long, the exhibit also reached more than 37,000 people virtually. The exhibit is a true industry-wide effort, with more than 20 organizations offering financial and on-site support and 15 dairy farms and businesses providing in-kind contributions. A total of four dairy farm families brought their cows to the exhibit, one herdsman cared for the cows and assisted with births throughout the week, eight college student interns managed the week-long exhibit, and more than 118 dairy producers, veterinarians, and industry professionals volunteered their time to answer questions from visitors.
“There’s so much anticipation and excitement in the air each year as Farm Show visitors witness the miracle of birth and learn where their dairy products come from. They not only get to see cows and calves firsthand, but they get to talk directly with dairy producers and professionals across the industry who are committed to caring for their animals and producing a high-quality product,” said Miriam Miller, project manager for the Calving Corner. “This exhibit continues to be such a rewarding way to help enhance the public’s understanding of production agriculture, and it wouldn’t be possible without all the backing and financial support we receive from sponsors across the dairy industry.”
The dairy farms that participated in the 2025 Calving Corner exhibit included Meadow Vista Dairy owned by Justin Risser and family of Lancaster County, Pa.; Dotterer Dairy owned by the Dotterer family of Clinton County, Pa.; Brubaker Farms owned by Mike, Tony, and Josh Brubaker and family of Lancaster County, Pa.; and Pennwood Farms LLC owned by Don, Glenn, Dwight, and Duane Stoltzfus and family of Somerset County, Pa.
“Farmers love to calculate return on investment when they buy or upgrade any item on their dairy. We invest in equipment, cow comfort, better genetics, and better cropping practices all to achieve a better return than before. In the realm of dairy promotion, the Calving Corner is one of those items where return on investment is through the roof,” shared Justin Risser of Meadow Vista Dairy. “Investing a few hours of your time in January and over the course of the year allows hundreds of thousands of people to hear and see our story firsthand. It’s a homerun for public relations.”
- Transparency into farming practices. “It’s really interesting to have transparency into a process I’m not close to. Thank you! I loved the information shared by the person on the microphone during the births.”
- Farm-to-table connections. “I found the Calving Corner very interesting. You can’t find this anywhere unless you visit a farm in your community. As a parent, it also showed my children where their milk comes from initially.”
- Dairy nutrition and health benefits. “I made great memories and a great appreciation for the dairy industry. I am a dietitian who would like to advocate dairy and its importance to overall health.”
- An appreciation for farmers. “I always appreciate the volunteers as they help answer questions both in person and on the live stream. It really helps to get an idea of how farmers truly care about their herd and about the community’s perception of the dairy industry.”
- A deeper understanding of agriculture from urban visitors. “It was great and very educational because we are from a city. We don’t really get to be up close to agriculture often. This is our chance.”
- A kid-friendly experience. “I really enjoyed going and spending time at the exhibit in person and getting to see how well the cows are treated. All of the speakers that talked during the births were very knowledgeable and they conveyed the information in a way that was easy for even young kids to understand. I also loved how the automated texts told me whenever a cow went into labor so I could tune in through the YouTube live stream.”
“I feel this exhibit has a very beneficial impact. While I’ve worked in the dairy industry for many years and it has always been enjoyable for me, I never realized how much of the public doesn’t get the opportunity to witness this,” shared Tom Stoltzfus, the herdsman for the 2025 Calving Corner.
Thank you to the 2025 sponsors of the Calving Corner: Friends of PA Farm Show Foundation, American Dairy Association North East, Professional Dairy Managers of PA (PDMP), Allied Milk Producers, Center for Dairy Excellence, PA Dairymen’s Association, PA Department of Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural Education Foundation, Horizon Farm Credit, Land O’Lakes, Dairy Farmers of America, Feedworks USA, Maola Local Dairies, 4wardAg, Univest Financial, PA Holstein Association, Walmoore Holsteins, Morrissey Insurance, Inc., Premier Select Sires, and PA Beef Council.
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